How to find the right carer
15 Dec 2015
As we get older and our health starts to get a bit wobbly, it can help to have someone like a carer lend us a hand.
In fact, many people don’t realise that they actually have the choice of the right carer for them or their loved one, especially as the government changed this process earlier in the year. For more information on this, visit: myagedcare.gov.au
According to Piroska Bisits-Bulletin, chief operating officer at Better Caring, it’s important to take the time to find the right carer for yourself or your loved one.
“People need to feel comfortable with someone coming into their home. If you’re going to let that person into your home, they’ll be there multiple times a week and if it’s personal care, they’ll be helping you shower and getting you out of bed. It’s critical that whoever receives the care is comfortable with the carer in their home and they have someone who matches cultural background and their interests,” explains Piroska. “
“You want good quality of life. If you like music and you like a carer who likes music too, it makes the experience a whole lot more fun.”
Marissa Sandler from Careseekers also adds that ideally, the carer and his or her client are able to develop a personal relationship in the future and the only way to do that is if the time is taken to choose the right carer.
1. Take your time
According to Piroska, a common mistake people often make is simply choosing whichever carer is available first. Of course, if you are in a crisis, that may be your only option. But if you leave it to the last minute when your mum or dad is just coming out of the hospital and just grab whoever is free, you may choose the wrong person who is not suitable for caring for your loved one.
“Take the time to compare different workers and interview them. It’s like interviewing anyone for a job. Arrange a time for them to come over and see the set-up of your loved one’s home. It’s like hiring someone for a job,” she says.
2. Involve your loved one in the process
If you are looking for a carer for a loved one, it’s important to take things easy. It’s quite common for someone to not want to consider having a carer in their home, even if that attention is required.
“In that case, my advice would be to go slowly. Make sure that you talk to your parents about why you think they might need help at home,” Piroska says. If your loved one can help choose the worker and they’re happy with that person, the whole process will be much easier.
“If you choose someone out of thin air and ask them into your parents’ home, your mum or dad might feel like they’ve been invaded by a stranger.”
3. Why did you become a carer?
According to Piroska, many people believe that a carer’s personality and attitude are much more important than their qualifications.
“Some people are in it because that’s the only skill they have. Some people are in it because they genuinely want to make a difference in people's lives. Others are in it to make money,” she says. “Some people had a family experience and realised after caring for their mother or father that they’re good at it, so they’re particularly passionate about it.”
Marissa also suggests asking the carer about their approach to care and what they feel is important when it comes to caring for someone. Ideally, you’d like someone who has become friends with their clients in the past and who stayed in touch with the family afterwards.
4. Ask for qualifications
Your carer should have First Aid qualifications, provide national police check certificates and give one or two referees. He or she should also have a certificate III or IV in aged care or disability support. To provide nursing services, he or she should also be a registered nurse.
If the carer needs to use a particular piece of equipment or hoist while taking care of your loved one, it’s also a good idea to ask them to demonstrate how they’d use it, to ensure he or she is using it in the way that you expect.
You may also wish to ask the carer about his or her cultural background. For example, if your loved one is Greek and learnt English, they may revert to speaking Greek from time to time. A carer with the same cultural background may be able to help integrate them more into the community.
5. Give someone a trial
It’s a good idea to give your carer a trial at the beginning of the process and if your loved one likes things to be done in a certain way, make sure their instructions are clear, suggests Marissa.
One of the mistakes she often sees is when the carer is not given the space to get the hang of caring for their client.
“The carer may be capable of meal preparation, but the daughter might stay and watch the person, which makes the carer anxious and it doesn’t work. Sometimes people will complain that the carer doesn’t take initiative, but the carer is not being given the the space to do tasks.”
Additional resources
For more information, visit the following websites:
The government’s My Aged Care website
DSS MyAgedCare “Five steps to accessing a Home Care Package”
Home Care Today’s “Your Guide to New Choices in Home Care”. This is an initiative of COTA funded by the government to educate consumers and providers about CDC.
Podcast Paul Ostrowski, CEO Care Connect, a brokerage only provider whose strength is independent case management or advice
http://www.hospitalandagedcare.com.au/news/podcast-how-to-deliver-genuine-choice-with-cdc
Practical Guidance on Legal issues in CDC. This comes from Home Care Today and explains to providers how to think about balancing their Duty of Care with the Consumers right to choose.
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